Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 101 As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement (Seeking monthly votes)
The task of "banning dispersal" is destined to be extremely difficult.

Regardless of how difficult it is for those addicted to the drug to quit.

—For Gu Yi, the real difficulty lies in the fact that "taking the powder" is considered an elegant matter in the current Han Dynasty.

As long as this mindset is not completely reversed.

That "ban on dispersal" was destined to be a pipe dream, and even if Liu Shan issued an edict, it would be useless.

But no matter how difficult this matter is.

Gu Yi had no choice but to continue.

Although he didn't know what the future held, now that he was here, he had to instill this concept in the hearts of the people of Kyushu.

Gu Yi had made many preparations for this.

His first strike was aimed at Cao Zhi and other "doctors" who had a very high influence in the Imperial Academy.

They were stripped of all their titles and expelled from the Imperial Academy.

This incident served as a catalyst to fully unveil the entire "ban on dispersal" campaign!

The government and the public were terrified!

No one expected Gu Ye's attitude to be so resolute.

Was the first strike aimed directly at the Imperial Academy?

What exactly is this supposed to do?

The times have changed. The successive deaths of Liu Bei, Gu Chen, and Zhuge Liang have shown that the Han Dynasty has completely passed its peak.

Similarly, this also includes the influence of the Gu family.

Gu Chen can only influence one generation at most.

Of course, knowing that Emperor Liu Shan still valued Lady Gu highly, no one would be foolish enough to offend Lady Gu over something trivial.

But things are different now.

The key is--

Gu Yi's actions this time were not only aimed at those aristocratic families; the scholars in the Imperial Academy also had many complaints about it.

A deluge of memorials immediately overwhelmed Jiang Wan and Liu Shan.

These people are all very intelligent.

It wasn't directly targeting the Gu family, since someone had already proven it was impossible with their life.

They merely offered their opinions on the matter of "taking the powder".

Environmental factors have a huge impact on a person.

When a great Confucian scholar like Cao Zhi, who already held immense influence in the Imperial Academy, and renowned scholars from all over the country were praising the practice of "taking the powder," even those students who didn't intend to take the powder would yearn for it.

Fortunately, the current emperor is Liu Shan.

Liu Shan was probably unable to distinguish right from wrong on many occasions.

Especially in situations where many people are protesting, he will be even more hesitant.

But he remembered what Gu Chen had said.

And this will be regarded as a guideline.

Because Cao Ren used "Five Stone Powder" to build his army, Gu Chen also had research and evaluation of "Five Stone Powder".

This was Liu Shan's bottom line.

Even today, he still believes that listening to Shang Fu is never wrong.

Jiang Wan was even appointed as the prime minister by Zhuge Liang.

He had high hopes for Gu Ye, and he also understood the drawbacks of taking the powder.

Under these circumstances.

These memorials were thus suppressed.

Of course, Gu Yi wouldn't care about any of that.

After completely subduing Cao Zhi and others, he immediately proposed several regulations for the current imperial examination system.

Those who take "San" (a type of herbal medicine) are prohibited from taking the imperial examinations!
—The killing move!
This is absolutely a killer move!
Five-stone powder is not a cheap thing. The Han Dynasty is currently in a period of recovery, having just experienced so many years of natural disasters. Ordinary people cannot afford the cost of "five-stone powder".

This is specifically targeting the sons of powerful and wealthy families!
Gu Ye was already handling the imperial examinations, and the regulations he issued did not even require Liu Shan's consent.

The impact of this incident far exceeds that of any previous ones.

Cutting off these people's path to the imperial examinations already signifies the decline of a family.

The power of these aristocratic families in the Han Dynasty is far less than it once was.

This could be fatal for them.

The situation within the government and the public became increasingly turbulent.

Factional strife inevitably arises under these circumstances.

Although the two sides are ostensibly still arguing about the "taking the powder" method, they are actually debating the interests of their own side.

Fortunately, the overall direction of the Han Dynasty is still correct.

otherwise
This impact will likely be no less significant than the party persecution of the past.

But what can be done about it?

Given the current system of the Han Dynasty, as long as Liu Shan is not misled, there will be no fundamental chaos.

The foundation laid by Gu Chen and Zhuge Liang has firmly secured the Han Dynasty onto the right path.

At least--

There will be no unrest in the Han Dynasty at present.

The news kept spreading.

Gu Yi's move was very effective; the students in the Imperial Academy immediately fell silent.

No one is a fool, especially those students who haven't yet completed their studies; they are even less willing to lose their opportunity because of this.

Although those who took the powder were even more fanatical.

But what can we do about it?

Gu Yi never intended to resolve this matter solely through covert strategies.

Just when the situation had completely reached a stalemate.

Gu Yi then began to take overt actions, ordering the elimination of "Five Stone Powder" in Luoyang and submitting a memorial to Liu Shan.

Selling "Five-Stone Powder" was sentenced to death!

Execute everyone, regardless of their identity!

All officials, regardless of their rank, were dismissed from their posts.

The entire Han Dynasty launched a thorough struggle against "Five Stone Powder" starting from Luoyang.

At the same time, Gu Yi also made his move.

By having Gu Ye represent the Gu family, and by quoting a line from the "Xiang Zhuan" section of the "Yi Zhuan," the Gu family proclaimed this to the world.

As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement.

And together with the stories of those who rose from humble beginnings throughout the Han Dynasty, they were passed down.

Gu Yi wants to fundamentally change the prevailing customs of the Han Dynasty!

The whole world was in an uproar.

Such harsh measures are bound to cause riots in various places.

But what can be done about it?

The biggest reason why Gu Yi dared to be so direct was because the Han Dynasty's foundation was very stable!
Whether it is the border troops on all sides or the central army of the imperial court.

These people are one of the reasons for the Han's confidence.

And the most important thing is——

This matter will not be targeted at ordinary people. Even if someone wants to incite the people to cause chaos, it will not be so easy.

At least the current court has not disappointed the people.

Especially since they have just survived a natural disaster.

No one in any region wants to disrupt the hard-won peace at such a time!

Moreover, interests are something that everyone fights for.

When someone falls, someone else will seize the opportunity to rise.

Small-scale rebellions in various regions were resolved completely by officials from all sides without even requiring the imperial court's intervention.

The trend is achieved!

The court's tough approach finally made everyone realize just how resolute its attitude was.

And the date for the next imperial examination was drawing ever closer.

The voices of opposition in the imperial court were also growing fainter.

Liu Shan's trust in Gu Chen had already made these officials feel hopeless.

To avoid their family becoming completely out of touch with the times, they had no choice but to accept it, no matter how unwilling they were to give up their interests.

For them.

This is a choice we must face.

Of course, there were also scholars who were completely disappointed with the court's actions, and among them were even people whose names Gu Yi had heard of in the original history.

One by one, they chose to withdraw from the world.

But what can be done about it?

Regardless of their actual talents, their mere obsession with taking pills is enough for Gu Yi to sentence them to death.

If we allow them to enter the temple.

The benefits they can bring to Kyushu will certainly outweigh the harms they bring.

This trend must be eradicated completely from its root.

Although this matter will take time.

However, Gu Yi still made his stance clear, piling up all the Five Stone Powder he had collected in the wasteland around the capital.

He then ordered a monument to be erected there.

In the presence of all people, everything was burned.

It demonstrates its tough stance to the world.

This matter is destined to be an extremely long process.

The seventh year of Yanxi;

After a full three years of investigation, the situation in various parts of the Han Dynasty has finally been investigated and the results have been obtained.

The current population of the Han Dynasty is over 20 million.

The natural disasters that have occurred for many years have ultimately taken away far too many lives.

However, compared to the original historical figures, the population is still more than double.

The arable land area, however, needs to be even greater.

Upon learning this news, Gu Yi's heart gradually calmed down a bit.

The importance of population in this era is self-evident.

Having such a large population will be of great help to him in everything he will face in the future.

Gu Ye is now playing an increasingly important role in the imperial court.

Its development momentum is unstoppable.

Everyone finally understood Liu Shan's feelings for Lady Gu, and they all gave up trying to change it.

What truly captured their attention was the upcoming imperial examinations that the Han Dynasty was about to resume.

Luoyang.

The Marquis of Champion's Residence.

"To include arithmetic in this special examination?" Zhong Hui looked at Gu Ye with surprise, frowning as he said, "Zhaode, in this world today, even the princes of various regions don't know arithmetic, let alone the common people?"

"Even if we add him to the Special Branch."

"It would be difficult to find even one person who could pass the test."

Zhong Hui looked at Gu Ye with a serious expression.

He had been cooperating with Gu Ye in handling matters related to the imperial examinations.

Although Zhong Hui was arrogant, his strength lay in his exceptional abilities, and he was different from ordinary aristocratic officials.

This guy's personality led to him having extremely poor relationships with the aristocratic families.

They will not join forces with other aristocratic families.

It was incorporated into the imperial examination system, a core institution of the Han Dynasty.

“Even so, it must be increased.” Gu Yi answered without hesitation, directly controlling Gu Ye: “I will ask His Majesty to issue an edict to announce it to the world.”

"Wait until the next imperial examination."

"Arithmetic will become one of the fixed subjects."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Hui's brows furrowed even more deeply.

He genuinely didn't quite understand why Gu Ye cared about math.

In fact, this is also the general attitude of officials in the Han Dynasty at present.

In feudal dynasties that governed the country with Confucianism, subjects like arithmetic were indeed not valued.

Gu Yi didn't waste any words.

He simply took out the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" with some annotations by Liu Hui, handed it to Zhong Hui, and said calmly, "Shi Ji thinks that if this is the time to cross the fields..."

"If all officials of our Great Han Dynasty understood this principle, how much time would be saved?"

He didn't need to explain anything further.

Zhong Hui was exceptionally talented, so he would naturally understand the meaning behind this. Moreover, this only applies to the present-day Han Dynasty.

Advances in mathematics will undoubtedly bring about tremendous changes to the entire Kyushu region in the future.

This must be inevitable.

Zhong Hui's brows furrowed deeper as he looked at the detailed annotations, and he couldn't help but ponder Gu Yi's words.

Immediately—

His face immediately showed shock.

"Zhaode, who wrote this?" he asked, staring intently at Gu Ye, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

Gu Yi smiled.

He immediately had Liu Hui summoned.

Zhong Hui's face was initially full of anticipation, but when he saw Liu Hui, who had dark skin and no distinguished features, his brows immediately furrowed.
"Was it written by this person?"

He stared intently at Gu Ye and asked.

Gu Ye nodded.

Seeing this, Zhong Hui first looked at Liu Hui, then at the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art" in his hand, shook his head and murmured, "What a pity."

In his eyes, Liu Hui, who had no scholarly demeanor whatsoever, could only be so talented.

Gu Yi was stunned for a moment.

He then realized that Zhong Hui must have fallen into his obsession with celebrities again.

However, he still made Liu Hui explain his annotations and point out the potential benefits they might bring.

Zhong Hui held Liu Hui in very low regard.

But he clearly knew the importance of this matter, and he patiently listened on.

As Liu Hui spoke, a look of shock returned to his face.

After Liu Hui finished explaining, he left.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhong Hui immediately declared, "A special examination must be held, with the 'Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art' as the subject!"

"No!"

Gu Yi immediately manipulated Gu Ye to shake his head: "The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art can only be used as a question for this imperial examination, and subsequent examinations will all have other questions based on current events."

Mathematics requires innovation.

If future imperial examinations were based entirely on the "Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art," it would hinder the development of the subject.

Gu Yi would never do something so foolish.

Zhong Hui paused for a moment, then finally nodded.

He is impatient.

After finalizing the rules for this imperial examination, he immediately got up and left.

Gu Yi was not idle either.

He directly controlled Gu Ye and headed straight for the palace.

Liu Shan is no longer young, and his temples are already streaked with white hair.

What Gu Yi truly found rare was—

Even at such an advanced age, Liu Shan still maintained his original aspirations.

They are still indulging in pleasure.

However, he was not obsessed with women.

This is a unique phenomenon, whether in ancient or modern times.

Liu Shan would naturally not refuse Gu Ye's suggestion.

He didn't understand.

But since it was proposed by a member of the Gu family, it must be correct in his eyes.

The matter was quickly settled.

The entire government and the public were in an uproar!
The special subject was arithmetic, and it might even become a separate subject in the next imperial examination!

This was like a bolt from the blue for the Han Dynasty at present!

No one could believe that it was actually true.

Is arithmetic really worthy of being listed as a separate subject?

Is a simple arithmetic really going to be ranked alongside the various classics left by the ancients?

All sorts of rumors and gossip immediately emerged.

Many people lamented that this act was a betrayal of their ancestors, which is also a drawback of Confucian education.

But all of this was in vain.

At first, things were alright; Liu Shan would still meet with these people.

But later he seemed to get annoyed and stopped seeing these people altogether.

As the date of the imperial examination drew ever closer...

No matter how unacceptable something may be, there will always be someone who bows down to it for the sake of profit.

Indeed, there were some stubborn old Confucian scholars who were willing to die in order to reverse this trend.

Even Gu Yi couldn't say they were wrong.

In any era, there will always be a group of stubborn and conservative people who are unwilling to accept new things and insist on their own values.

But times will eventually change.

Let alone them.

Even Gu Yi couldn't stop the evolution of the situation.

In the eighth year of the Yanxi era, the imperial examinations were launched.

As the first imperial examination since the Han Dynasty implemented its reforms, this examination attracted immense attention from everyone.

Gu Yi kept his word.

A special group of people were selected to be screened before the imperial examinations in various regions.

Anyone who "takes leave" will be disqualified from participating in the imperial examinations, regardless of their status.

Amidst the turmoil, various regions are experiencing a surge of unrest.

Everyone is paying close attention to this imperial examination.

However, at this very moment, news from the frontier was sent back to Luoyang.

—Guanqiu Jian has passed away.

As one of the generals left behind by Gu Chen, Guanqiu Jian was responsible for guarding the most threatening Youzhou region.

For decades, there has never been a single mistake.

The loss of such a great general was like the loss of a pillar supporting the sky for the Han Dynasty.

If it weren't for the peace and stability of all sides...

It's impossible for Gu Yi to have done so much in such a short time.

Although he had never met Guanqiu Jian, Liu Shan was still deeply saddened by his passing.

These are all people that Gu Chen left for him.

As time goes by, these people are becoming fewer and fewer.

Gu Yi also had mixed feelings about this, some sadness but more solemnity.

Guanqiu Jian is dead.
How much time do Jiang Wei and Deng Ai have left?
The peaceful period for the Han Dynasty is coming to an end.

Everything that Gu Chen left behind for the Han Dynasty eventually faded away with time.

If Kyushu truly wants to remain peaceful, the only way is to let future generations fight for it themselves.

From this day forward
Gu Yi paid increasing attention to the movements of the barbarians in all directions, and at the same time, he began to accelerate the internal reforms.

But no matter how fast Gu Yi's movements were.

In an era where every message needs to be delivered by someone, it is ultimately impossible to defeat time.

Guanqiu Jian's passing was like a signal.

The era of the most outstanding civil and military officials in the Han Dynasty court was gradually coming to an end.

At the end of the same year.

Jiang Wan fell ill and had to resign from his position as prime minister.

He is very clear about his own position.

It was all to stabilize the court and wait until Gu Ye was older.

In his resignation letter, he directly suggested that Gu Ye be appointed as prime minister.

This matter instantly caused a huge uproar in the court. Although Gu Ye's status in the court is becoming increasingly extraordinary, he is still quite young as the prime minister of the country.

But Liu Shan readily agreed to the matter.

Both Gu Ye's surname and the choices left by Zhuge Liang were sufficient to make him make this choice.

But what no one expected was—

Gu Ye refused!
Gu Yi naturally wouldn't become a prime minister.

With his abilities, he could certainly handle some institutional reforms, but as a prime minister, he could not compare to those who would be remembered in history.

Moreover, for Gu Yi, he would eventually have to leave Luoyang.

The position of prime minister was merely a burden to him!

Gu Yi directly manipulated Gu Ye to submit a memorial to Liu Shan requesting that Zhang Hua be appointed as prime minister.

In fact, if Zhong Hui could change his personality, his abilities would be more than enough to make him prime minister.

And this guy's mind works fast.

He was also quick to accept Gu Yi's various innovations.

Unfortunately, this guy was too stubborn and self-willed.

Zhang Hua, however, is different.

Although Zhang Hua's position in the court is not high, he has never made a mistake in handling matters.

Moreover, Zhang Hua was someone Gu Chen had promoted back then.

The key is--

This guy's abilities perfectly match the Gu family's requirements!
In the original history, he was someone who could balance the power of the four factions in the chaotic court of the Western Jin Dynasty.

With such a person in the court, Gu Yi could finally feel at ease.

The entire court was shocked by Gu Ye's decision.

Is it really possible for someone to refuse the prime minister's position that's practically handed to them?
Even Liu Shan himself was somewhat puzzled.

He summoned Gu Ye several times and asked him questions. Liu Chen also came to see Gu Ye, but they were all puzzled as to why Gu Ye was acting this way.

This time, Gu Yi did not hide anything.

He directly expressed his concerns about the barbarians from all directions.

Liu Shan didn't take it seriously and advised Gu Ye not to make a fuss and to stay in Luoyang and help him govern the country.

Liu Chen's attitude towards this was extremely serious. He bowed deeply to Gu Ye and said, "Your virtue and righteousness are exemplary!"

No one could have imagined
It's astonishing that the position of prime minister could be so dramatically declined three times.

After Gu Ye refused several times.

Liu Shan had no choice but to follow his advice and hand over the position of prime minister to Zhang Hua.

But how could Zhang Hua agree to that?
He was just a minor official at the time, but suddenly he was promoted to the position of the head of all officials. This leap was something even he found hard to accept.

Zhang Hua even came to see Gu Ye.

They wanted Gu Ye to accept the position of Prime Minister, and even if they had to give it up again, they didn't want to give it to him.

Gu Yi didn't say anything more.

He simply manipulated Gu Ye to lead Zhang Hua directly to the palace, where they met Liu Shan.

Please ask Liu Shan to recount Gu Chen's evaluation of Zhang Hua from years ago.

Other versions of Liu Shan's name might not be able to be memorized.

But he had already memorized everything that Gu Chen had left behind.

"His extensive knowledge and strong memory are like the ocean that can hold rivers, and he is a pillar of society capable of managing affairs. However, his excessive integrity may cause him to be defeated by the cunning of petty people. Nevertheless, he is a capable minister in a prosperous era and is certainly worthy of great service."

When Zhang Hua heard Liu Shan say those words, he was completely stunned.

He never expected this;

Back then, Gu Chen was able to make such a judgment when he was so young!
Gu Yi first controlled Gu Ye to bow to Liu Chan, then patted Zhang Hua on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Mao Xian, do not disappoint your grandfather's expectations."

A simple sentence brought tears to Zhang Hua's eyes.

He glanced at Gu Ye, then at Liu Shan.

He finally nodded seriously.

He knelt down earnestly before Liu Shan.

"Your subject obeys!"
------

"In the eighth year of Yanxi of the Yan Han Dynasty, Prime Minister Jiang Wan fell ill and submitted a memorial requesting to resign and recommending Gu Ye as prime minister, which the emperor granted."

After observing the stars at night, Gu Ye, well-versed in border affairs, advised in the Xuan Shi Hall: "I am good at planning but short-sighted. Zhang Hua, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, is knowledgeable in military strategy and keenly aware of military matters. If he were appointed as prime minister, he could secure the country."

He then relinquished the position of prime minister three times.

Later generations praised him, saying: "His brilliance shines brightly, yet does not dazzle the imperial court. He yielded the throne to the prime minister, and the four barbarian tribes were at peace."

—From the Chinese Dictionary: Let the Prime Minister pacify the country

(End of this chapter)